Dumping device for vehicles.



N0. 855,267. PATENTED MAY 28, 1907.

M. I. TUTI'EE. DUMPING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 28, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A TTORNE YS 111s NORRIS PETERS cav WASHINGTON, u. c.

DUMPING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED JULYAZB, 1906;-

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 24 A 7'TOHNEYS l WITNESSES N 1-H: uomus PETERS 00..wnsumarcn, n. c.

MERRITT I. TUTTLE, OF FORT MORGAN, COLORADO.

DUIVIPING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application filed July/28, 1906. Serial No. 328,217.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MERRITT I. TUTTLE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Fort Morgan, in the county of Morgan and State ofColorado, have invented a new and Improved Dumping Device for Vehicles,of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

This invention relates to dumping devices for vehicles.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed, by means of which a vehicle may be tilted to one side toallow the load thereupon to slide from the body of the vehicle into anadjacent railway car or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dumping device whichis tilted into position. to allow the load upon the vehicle to slidefrom the same, by the Weight of the loaded vehicle, while the weight ofthe unloaded vehicle returns the tilting platform to its normal positionthrough the change of position of the center of gravity of the vehiclewhen loaded and unloaded.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and more fully set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1represents an end elevation of my invention showing a loaded vehiclethereupon in loaded position and the tilted position of the platform andthe vehicle thereupon in dotted outline, and Fig. 2 is a top plan viewof my invention showing a part broken away.

Before giving a more detailed description of my invention, it should beunderstood that the device is substantially automatic in operation, itbeing merely necessary to release a catch which holds the platform in anormal or horizontal position to allow the platform to be tilted by theweight of the vehicle superposed upon the same. The return of theplatform to the normal or horizontal position is effected by the weightof the vehicle, the center of gravity of the same having shifted to adifferent point from that occupied by the center of gravity of theloaded vehicle, and consequently bringing. the center of gravity betweenthe points of contact of the rockers carrying the platform and thecenter of the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I provide a frame of timberor other suitable material, having uprights 1 constituting preferably arectangle. The uprights 1 carry longitudinal side members 2 securelybolted in place in notchesin said members by means of bolts 3.Transverse members 4 are mounted upon the longitudinal members 2 andspan the space therebetween, resting upon the members 2 and at the sametime being securely bolted to the uprights by means of bolts 5.Secondary longitudinal members 6 are secured to the uprights in the samemanner in which the longitudinal members 2 are attached, the members 6being located at some distance above the members 2. Floor beams 7 arelocated upon the transverse members 4 and extend longitudinally of theframe and support side floor members 8 which rest upon the longitudinalmembers 6 and the floor beams 7 and constitute rigid side members of theplatform.

Rockers 9 are located upon the transverse members 4 between the floorbeams 7 and are adapted to be rocked laterally with respect to the frameupon said transverse members. The rocking edge of the rockers may be ofany suitable curvature for the purpose, While the u per edge is straightand normally horizonta These rockers are preferably two in number, butthe number maybe increased to suit the requirements under differentcircumstances. The rockers are joined by a series of longitudinal braces10 which are fitted in roper openings in the rockers and extend from oneto the other, holding them rigidly a proper distance apart. A secondseries of braces 11 join the rockers 9 with their upper faces flush withthe horizontal upper edges of the rockers, and are adapted to act notonly as braces but as supports for the rocking platform as Well. Therocking platform consists of a series of longitudinal planks 12 mountedupon the rockers and the braces 11 and eX- tending from one rocker tothe other. The planks may be secured in position in the usual mannerwith bolts or nails. The rockers are secured to the transverse members4- by means of chains 13 secured to the transverse members and to one ofthe braces near the end thereof. The rockers are secured to one of thefloor beams 7 by means of chains 14 which are secured to said floorbeams and to the rocker. The chains are fastened in place by eye-boltsor in any other suitable ployed, but I manner. It will be understoodthat the chains allow the rockers to rock freely upon the transversemembers but revent their accidental displacement from t e same. Thefloor beams 7 also act as lateral guards to prevent the accidentaldisplacement of the rockers by jarring or in any other manner. Theplatform upon the rocker is adapted to be rocked in only one directionand to prevent its being rocked in the opposite direction the outsidefloor plank 15 has an edge projecting laterally over the upper edge ofthe floor beams 7, thus preventing the depression of the platform inthat direction.

To hold the platform upon the rockers in a normal position I provide acatch consisting of a rod 16 pivotally mounted upon a bracket 17 at theinner side of a floor beam 7 o posite to the floor beam against whichthe p ank 15 abuts. This rod is adapted to project inwardly and toengage with the under side of a longitudinal bar 18 secured under theplatform upon the rockers and to prevent the platform from beingdepressed when it so engages with the bar 18. A link 19 is pivotallymounted to the bar 16 and to a hand lever 20 which is pivoted to abracket 21 upon a floor member 8. When the hand lever is moved in onedirection the bar 16 is drawn from engagement with the platform by meansof the link 19, and thus the platform be comes free to rock upon thetransverse members 1.

A longitudinal beam 22 is mounted upon a floor member 8 and is securelybolted in place by means of bolts 23 and 24. The beam 22 presents aninclined face inwardly with respect to the frame, for a purpose whichwill be hereinafter described. A longitudinal angle-iron 25 is mountedupon the rocking latform near the side thereof adjacent to the Beam 22,presenting the outer side of a flange toward the center of the platform.

When my improved device is to be used, the hand lever 20 is so movedthat the catch bar 16 is in place to hold the platform in its normal orhorizontal position. The vehicle carrying the load which is to be dumpedinto a freight or other car located upon a track adjacent to the frame,is run up upon the rocking platform by means of an inclined ft will beunderstood that the platform is located at such a height above theground that when a vehicle is thereupon the body of the same is somewhathigher than the top of the car. Any kind of vehicle may be emrefer touse one in which one of the sides is inged outwardly, as shown in dottedposition in Fig. 1. The vehicle is so placed upon the platform that thewheels at one side abut agalnst the angle-bar 18, which is adapted toconstitute a stop to prevent the accidental displacement from theplatform of the vehicle when the platform is tilted. The

arrangement is such that the center of gravity of the vehicle isslightly to one side of the center of the platform in the directiontoward which the latter is to be tilted; consequently when the handlever 20 releases the catch 16 the weight of the vehicle will cause theplatform to rock toward that side of the frame until the hubs of thewheels come into con tact with the inclined side of the beam 22, whichtherefore constitutes a stop to prevent the further tilting of theplatform. The angle is such that the load upon the vehicle may slidetherefrom into the car provided to receive it.

When the vehicle is loaded the center of gravity, it will be understood,is fairly near the upper portion of the body. However, when the load isremoved, the center of gravity is displaced toward the lower part of thevehicle. ',Thus, when the vehicle is loaded, the center of gravity iswell up in the body of the vehicle and the weight of the same thus tendsto keep the platform in a depressed position; but when the load slidesfrom the vehicle, the center of gravity moves to a position lower downand thus comes between the points of contact of the rockers and. thecenter points thereof. In consequence, it will be understood that theplatform is rocked back into its normal p0 sition. This operation is dueto the fact that when the application of the weight upon the platform isto one side of the point of contact of the supporting members, therockers will rock toward that side.

The inclination of the beam 22 is such that when the vehicle is tiltedthe hubs of the wheels may rest squarely upon that surface and atthesame time the face of the flange of the angle-iron 25 is substantiallyparallel with the inclined surface of the beam 22. Thus there is nodistortion of the wheels when the vehicle is tilted and consequentlythere is no danger of injury to the latter. A recess 26 is provided onthe under side of a floor member 8, into which the catch bar 16 may bedrawn to remove it from the bar 18.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a device of the class described, a frame having transversemembers, rockers upon said members, a platform upon said rockers andadapted to carry a vehicle transversely of said rockers, means forrocking said platform in a horizontal position, a stop to limit thetilting of said platform, and a stop upon said platform to limit thelateral movement of a vehicle, the arrangement being such that thecenter of gravity of the vehicle, when loaded, is to one side of thepoint of contact of the rockers and when unloaded,'the center of gravityis to the opposite side of the point of contact of said rockers.

2. In a device of the class described, a

frame having transverse members, rockers upon said members, a platformupon said rockers and adapted to carry a vehicle, a stop upon saidplatform limiting the lateral movement of the vehicle, means forpreventing the displacement of said rockers from said transversemembers, and a catch adapted to be manually released and normally tohold said platform in a horizontal position.

3. In a device of the class described, a frame having transversemembers, rockers upon said members and having a platform adapted tocarry a vehicle, a catch upon said frame adapted to hold said platformin a normal position and having a lever adapted to displace said catch,said platform being adapted to be depressed by the Weight of the vehiclethereupon, and .a stop upon said frame adapted to abut against saidvehicle to limit the movement of said platform.

4. In a device of the class described, a frame having rockers, aplatform upon said rockers and having means for holding a vehiclethereupon with the center of gravity to one side of the center of saidplatform, a catch adapted to hold said platform in a normal position, astop upon said frame to limit the tilting of said vehicle, and means forpreventing said platform from rocking in one direction.

5. In a device of the class described, a frame having transversemembers, rockers upon said members and having a platform adapted tocarry a vehicle, a bar pivotally mounted upon said frame and adapted toengage With said platform to hold the same in a normal position, and alever attached to said bar and adapted to displace the same When theposition of said lever is altered.

6. In a device of the class described, a frame having a transversemember, a rocker upon said member and having a platform adapted to carrya vehicle, a flexible member secured to said rocker and to said frame ata point adjacent to the opposite end of said rocker, and a secondflexible member secured to said rocker and to said frame at a pointadjacent to the opposite end of said rocker and remote from the point ofthe frame at Which the first flexible member is secured.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MERRITT I. TUTTLE.

Witnesses:

J. F. ARBUOKLE, JOHN T. Ross.

